The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Humanity

A visualization of the linkage between computers, artificial intelligence, and humans.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long been a central theme in sci-fi plots, conspiracy theories, and discussions about the future of the workplace. In contrast to other technological tools, such as calculators or mobile phones, AI seems increasingly present in our everyday lives, more than a tool ever should. When ChatGPT released in late 2022, over a million people signed up to try the AI chatbot in just 5 days. The speed of adoption and rate of human dependence on AI have only increased exponentially since then.

Human dependence on AI is not only frightening to our creative and innovative minds, but it is also reflected in the way we speak. Studies by researchers at Florida State University’s Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, along with colleagues in computer science and mathematics, offer evidence as the first peer-reviewed analysis of AI on the natural rhythms of human speech. In short, AI purports that it just suggests ideas and words pulled from the Internet, but it actually influences the way we communicate and synthesize our own ideas.

AI is notoriously known for its overuse of specific language, with many academic professionals and educators frequently attributing their usage to AI writing. These words and phrases include “delve”, “providing a valuable insight”, and “gain significant attention.” In fact, GPTZero, a tool that helps detect AI in writing, claims that the phrase “provide a valuable insight” was 468 times more frequent in AI-generated text compared to human speech. Researchers at Florida State University analyzed 22.1 million words of unscripted speech from various sources, including podcasts and other audio recordings. They found that, following the release of ChatGPT, words and phrases associated with large language models dramatically increased, including “meticulous,” “strategically,” and “delve.”

While the use of words has historically been linked to cultural trends and semantic changes, the exact words that had an increase in usage following the rise of AI were AI-specific buzzwords, not their synonyms. In the past, words with closely related synonyms were often used more frequently in human speech, as certain topics or subjects dominated discussion at specific periods of time. However, the researchers found that the AI buzzword “underscore” demonstrated a sharp increase in usage frequency, while the usage of the very similar synonym “accentuate” stagnated during the same period. The patterns in our word usage are unlike anything we’ve seen before because these new linguistic trends are not influenced by culture or changing societies, but rather by large language models in AI that change the way we communicate information and our own ideas.

Beyond the way we speak, AI is influencing the way we think. Decades ago, remembering facts, dates, trivia, and being able to understand and comprehend academic research were skills that demonstrated intelligence and differentiated independent thinkers. Nowadays, some people claim that the phrase “Google it” is becoming obsolete due to the increasing popularity of AI chatbots. When there is a shortcut to any question, claim, or information, human memory may deteriorate because any information on any subject can be retrieved almost instantaneously. If anything, the human capacity to link different concepts together and innovate may be stifled by the mental shortcuts offered by AI, which in turn will weaken the brain’s ability to retain information.

Reflecting on how technology has shaped our lives, it becomes clear that cognitive offloading can be even more significant with the aid of AI. For example, with the invention of calculators, mathematics at school became less focused on arithmetic and more on theory and abstraction. With the internet, the workplace became less focused on manual and repetitive tasks and more about innovation and efficiency. However, with AI, there is considerable confusion about what our future schools, workplaces, and the next generation will look like.

Compared to earlier innovations, AI elevates mental shortcuts by automating tasks that used to at least require some human engagement, understanding, analysis, reasoning, and creativity. According to a study by Michael Gerlich, there is a significant negative correlation between frequent AI usage and critical thinking skills, as cognitive offloading diminishes human engagement in tasks that require deep evaluation. This phenomenon of AI and cognitive thinking has varying effects both on the frequency of AI usage and the age of participants. Younger participants who showed greater reliance on AI tools scored lower in critical thinking compared to their older counterparts. This was because older participants had less experience with AI and thus less dependence on it.

Of course, there are many incredible benefits with utilizing AI. The mantra of efficiency, effectiveness, and ease of use is often repeated in the media. And this is very true. For humans, AI is an excellent way to enhance our communication skills and innovate by being more efficient with its assistance. Since AI is designed to process vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and make predictions for us, we can benefit, for instance, from AI in language translations at much faster speeds and with greater accuracy, helping us to make connections more easily. In fact, many translation services already use AI to analyze millions of words from various languages or dialects. Google is employing AI and machine learning to help make translations more neutral-sounding.

Additionally, AI can help humans gain inspiration to overcome a mental block that prevents them from progressing in their work. For musicians, this could involve AI assisting in sampling music or composing melodies. In contrast, for a writer, it could involve a word map or brainstorming different ideas inspired by past authors. Alternatively, by completing repetitive tasks, such as helping a digital artist color their work, humans can be more creative by having the time to develop their ideas and reinforce their creative vision without wasting time on the more tedious or unskillful tasks. Banning the use of AI may seem like an easy option, but it may not be the most effective option to foster creative or critical thinking. Instead, the more realistic option is to think for ourselves and consider how AI can be used to amplify human thought, not replace it.